Why study art history today?
- What’s in it for you?
- What’s our mission?
- What’s our expertise and approach?
So let me guess: do you do yoga, or go to the gym, or run a half marathon? Are you into a balanced diet? You might not proclaim “mens sana in corpore sana” in Latin, but you do believe what it says: “Healthy mind in a healthy body”. And here’s the thing: we don’t need to know Latin in order to follow some centuries-old, excellent principles. The same way that we don’t have to know everything – or even a lot – about art – in order to enjoy it. If art history is a tool for better living, shouldn’t we pay more attention to it?
OUR MISSION: To help Art History move from a pretty selfie backdrop to the center stage.
To help us do more “looking into” things rather than just “looking at” them.
To make learning art history become your weekly cognitive health supplement, your “brainy chew”. To move from athleisure to art-leisure: to make learning art history – and talking about it – as commonplace and accepted as wearing yoga pants anywhere, anytime (almost).*
*Is it too shocking of a way to put it? Unsurprisingly, some of my favorite art movements are Futurism and Conceptual art.
OUR EXPERTISE: Here comes the expected part – founder’s bio. Just a little bit about me (we’ll find more about each other when we meet).
Straightforward version: degree in art history & history; former art curator at a contemporary art gallery in Washington DC; former art curator at the Museum of Rome. Former lecturer in Italian at Northwestern University (Department of French & Italian).
Up close and personal: I’m aggressively cultured and unapologetically myself. I’m nothing without art and art history, buying books and searching for the next incredible antique/vintage find (I’ve been into vintage since before it’s gotten trendy), drinking too much coffee and never having enough French cheeses.
Things I’m great at: dot connecting; taking random pictures (and making sense of them); visiting museums according to my very own method (more on that later); asking honest questions that get to the heart of any problem early on; reading people; speaking foreign languages (I speak 6 fluently, and would love to learn more).
Things I’m not at all good at: cooking, going to bed late, math & science, modesty.
However, let me be clear: the most important part is who YOU are, what you are curious about and what you’d like to get out of this experience (see types of the Art offerings below).
OUR APPROACH: We’ll begin by having a structured conversation around your likes, dislikes, motivations and the ideal outcomes, and we’ll find your level and build your lesson plan accordingly.
Of course it always helps to know more (and we are here for that reason), but we believe that, like all explorations, we should start off with building on what we already know and like (as well as what we instinctively dislike) and go “digging” from there. It’s not so much about the formal training you’ve had as it is about the curiosity and the desire to explore that moves you every day.
Most classes below could be offered as private or group sessions (friends, family, adults only, children only or a mix).
What offering is right for you?
Art dates
I’ve heard it from so many people: “we wind up doing the same things over and over for our date nights”, or “quality time spent with the kids somehow ends up being about shopping and brunch”, or we’ve run out of ideas for things to do with friends besides book clubs (which are great!) and food and drinks….
So here’s an idea: gather a few friends and/or family members and come over for an art date. We’ll find a common ground (theme) for this and do something different!
Art start
Call it “all you always wanted to know about art but were afraid to ask”: you’ve always liked art but never found a way to study it. Today is the day. We’ll start off by discussing your preferences (worry not: we’ll dig deeper and help you find and articulate your likes and dislikes) and then craft your personalized curriculum. Our exploring together will be fun and enriching; methodical and rigorous, but never intimidating. (Trust me, I used to be a college Prof and I was anything but boring!)
Art smart
You feel like you have a pretty solid understanding of art history and want to move beyond. At this level you can continue on the more structured and linear path in order to deepen your knowledge, or you could choose to focus on specific time periods, artistic movements or regions that interest you the most (in which case, see the ART PICKY option below).
Art picky
Congratulations! You think of yourself as a Patron/Patroness of the Arts. You have clear ideas and want to let your curiosity run wild (and wide). With this offering, it’s up to you to choose what you want to explore. For example: 3 lessons on Flemish art and 4 lessons on the Italian Renaissance. And why not, you could also pick just one specific artist or even a painting you want to learn about. Or even a history of a building (why not the Eiffel tower with its never-ending surprises?). Architecture and photography are some of our favorites, so reach out, don’t be shy!
Art tricky
Fun and easy way is your thing. Why not? This offering is right if you want to explore just the fun and curious side of art history without the intimidating details. Again, it could be done as a centuries-sweeping overview, or as a focus on specific artists and regions of the World.
Picassosselfies: Art History and language school 